According To You: What Vehicles Are You Thankful For?
We are getting closer to Thanksgiving weekend here in these United States, and everyone here at Hagerty Media is thankful for you answering our community questions both now and on a regular basis. Your responses to our question of “thanks” were very honorable indeed, as we tend to appreciate the same types of vehicles.
And by the “same types,” I actually mean a wide variety of vehicles. So let’s see just how big of a tent we are gonna need to hold all of them!
Farm Tractors
DUB6: This is – in the words of Harry Doyle – “Ju-u-u-s-st a bit outside” of the traditional definition of vehicle, but it has four tires, an engine, steering wheel and seat, so I’m gonna present it. I grew up in mostly rural Idaho, and much of my youth was spent hauling my paraplegic father around farm fields, trying to set him up to shoot at ducks or pheasants. More than once, I’d get us stuck and have to go plead with the farmer to come pull us out with his tractor.
I learned at a young age what a versatile and indispensable vehicle those things can be. Later I witnessed how they made it possible to prepare the land, plant, and eventually harvest huge amounts of food and other crops. When I bought land to create our small ranch, I initially had to hire much of my tractor work done, as I was still working.
Eventually, I decided it was time to own my own – albeit a smaller one, as ranch land is largely range land, and I’m not tilling or mowing more than a few acres of it. I finally found a deal on a 1954 Ford 8N with a 3-point and all sorts of attachments. That baby has scraped, tilled, spread, drilled post holes, and given grandkids some wonderful times (truth be told, Grandpa too) on the place for about 20 years. It – along with countless tractors throughout my entire life – has done a LOT for us and for that I’m truly thankful. It’s due for a rebuild, and as soon as I clear project space in the shop, I’m going to express my gratitude: it’s going to get all spiffed up with mechanical overhaul, new tires, and fresh paint.
Ken_L: Unless you need a front-end loader and power steering, a N series Ford is hard to beat for a utility tractor.
Those That Crossed My Path
TG: My Corvette came to me in need of a lot of work, but I got it all done and it has been a very fun and surprisingly reliable car. I bought an Allanté on a lark because it was cheap and have had no significant issues with it. My 1 Series Beemer bought as a daily driver has been problem-free and is a blast to drive.
My most recent acquisition, a ’72 Ford F-350 was literally drug out of a farm field and was surprisingly intact and operational. Although there was a lot of time, sweat, and parts hunting invested into getting it road-worthy, the actual out-of-pocket costs including purchase price has been astonishingly low.
DALE Z: I am thankful for my two ex-U-Haul Ford F-350’s. Retired U-Haul trucks can be an excellent value.
Emergency Vehicles
AG1962: Fire trucks. I was a paid on-call firefighter for a few years — the village we were living in expected anyone who could physically manage the job and who did not travel for work to sign up. I learned to drive the beasts, run the pumps at -40, and back them into the garage properly after a call. I have huge respect for those trucks.
A close second would be ambulances. The ambulance arriving as we were cutting people out of a car wreck was always a moment of relief.
Luvs A. Goodstory: I agree with thankfulness and need for a vehicle that saves the day or moment. I am most thankful for something that brings a bit of joy to this grey reality. So I offer tasteful customs and hotrods.
Beaters
Rusty Fenders: Becoming a driver in the early ’70s, I’m thankful for all the cars you could still buy for under $100 as your first vehicle. You never went anywhere without extra oil, water, duct tape, a flashlight, and wire hangers in the trunk, as well as a set of worn and rusty, but functional, tools. You learned to work on cars out of sheer necessity and had about as cheap access to freedom as was possible.
Big Trucks
Tim: All trucks and their drivers who got food and everything else to us during the pandemic and every day. Thanks to the Men and Women drivers and your machines!
Gary B: Trucks, trains, anything that help our goods to cross this nation.
Paul I: The ambulance my son drives and the 777 my other son flies. They have both found their niche. Not much more a dad could wish for. And even more thankful for the woman who brought them and another good man, into this world. The best things about this time of year are the moments spent reflecting on the good things.
Bubba: I too have sons driving an ambulance and flying triple 7s, another is an electrical engineer. I’m truly thankful for three good men and their wives giving me 4 grandsons thus far. As for vehicles, I’m going with the Willys Jeep and Ford Mustang, especially the ones modified by Carroll Shelby.
A Friend That Brings A Trailer
norm1200: Next in line behind emergency response & service vehicles, I’ll look to a friend, his rides, his car trailer, and my personal vehicles. I can mostly blame my friend for the herd of vehicles I now own, having towed most of them home for me. Most were a fair distance, some were actually out of state.
He’s towed with a ’97 Silverado Z71 1/2 ton 4WD, a ’97 Suburban 1500 4WD, and currently a ’02 GMC Yukon 4WD. The last vehicle I bought was not used for 10 years: changed fluids & tires, then we bought a new car trailer and towed this ’91 Corvette ZR-1 with 23k mi from Vista, CA to the Nashville area. My 34-year-old Nissan truck of 13 years ownership has been very reliable and has been a great tool by helping out with getting many jobs & projects completed. I can’t imagine a lifestyle without a truck.
Catering / Food Trucks
LD: Coffee trucks! That’s where you can get bad coffee and sometimes beer, too!
My First Car
02 original owner: I’ll bet you think I’ll say my BMW 2002. Its a great car, but wasn’t what got me started on my 61-year hobby of messing with cars. You’re gonna laugh, but I’m thankful for my first car, a 1959 Renault 4CV. Bought for $300, it taught me that I needed to learn car repairs–quickly, if I wanted to get to my summer job and take my date out.
The lesson stuck; that car was my daily driver for 14 years, and the girl I dated in it actually married me. We’re still married, I still mess with cars and the 4CV is still in my garage.
All Of Them
Steve: I am thankful for vehicles, period – the working, farming, emergency, transport, and service vehicles that allow civilization. But it’s the motorsport and classic/collectible stuff that provides the enthusiasm for that civilization, no?
Man, I can only hope that my tractor someday looks as good as the one you pictured! 🤩
I learned to drive on a Ford tractor in 1947. I’m still keeping my left foot in shape on my daily driver.
Same here. Old 9N pulling a bailer and trailer. I spent a summer with my aunt and uncle in Arkansas when I was 11 years old. He taught me how to let the clutch out and just keep it going in the right direction over the raked hay rows while he ran the bailer and trailer behind it.
dub6, you really want your tractor to be a trailer queen? well if you still used it in the field while in #1 condition, i want a picture!
Well, paint and new tires won’t exactly qualify it as a trailer queen or make it even close to #1, I guarantee you! But it might mean it’ll have a little less rust and a little more traction… 😉
That 8N tractor had to have been a ’52 or earlier. The ’53 was a Golden Jubilee and had the first of many over-head valve engines that followed. The 8N’s were made from ’48-52, 9N’s from ’39-’41 and the 2n’s from ’42-’47.
The 8N was the most desirable of all the flat-head 4’s for a number of reasons. My Dad and Uncle were Ford Tractor dealers when I was growing up, and they were the first things I learned how to drive. I loved those tractors and wish I had reason to own one!
Our Ford was a Golden Jubilee. Positive valve rotators.38 DBHP
Interesting info. All I knew (or thought I knew) was that the serial number told you the year, and mine indicated that it is a ’54. But I may have had something all wrong.
Thankful for anything with a stick shift
Yes the friend trailer definitely deserves a mention
My 55 VW sedan was the smallest car in my high school parking lot until a girl showed up with a new black 4CV in 1959.
That wasn’t in Baltimore, was it? I dated a girl in B-more in 1961 who had a 4CV. Cool car. She also had a “Cool” name.
The beast of burden 1/2 – 3/4 ton pick-up truck, working on wearing out the third one!
Grew up with a small ford tractor – Didn’t need a license to use it to visit friends but the road gear was only slightly faster than walking…… three point with a box blade on back.
I am finally retired and enjoying this relaxed life in a senior golf community. My golf cart is my major form of transportation and has served as our movement of choice. With the new lithium batteries I am certain it will retain is primary position for years to come.
To take an odd route to a good place
Diesel/Battery WWII submarines which created
Diesel electric locomotives still in use today, which became
Hybrid cars, that will be in production, that ushered in
Diesel Hybrid Semis that are in testing…that get 3X the fuel mileage of typical semi and no range issues
Lots to be grateful for
I can honestly say I drove an Aston Martin in England in the middle 1950’s when I was an early teenager.
Had friends who were small 140 acres mixed farmers who had a David Brown tractor on which I learned to plough, and transport straw bales back to the barn for storage. David Brown – the name behind Aston Martin who started life as Tractor manufacturer
HA! Me too in the early 60’s. That ol’ David Brown tractor had a growl in the engine/rear diff from day one. The dealer said when it gets too bad we’ll fix it under warranty. Well it got pretty bad but the owner (girl friend’s father) never got it fixed.
The Renault brought back memories. My first car was a 61 Renault Dauphine that I paid $87.50 for in 1967. My dad decided it needed more power so we sent for the “big bore” kit from JC Whitney and then we welded up a new intake and exhaust from electrical conduit and put on a carb from a Corvair. Thankful for my first car and my dad showing anything can be done on a car.
I still love beaters. There is something special about them, maybe a throwback to leaner (and younger) years or nostalgia, not sure.
A favorite “Beater For Sale” ad I remember from the 70’s touting all the Selling Features:
“For Sale
1962 Dodge Dart. Radio works”
I guess the one I am thankful for is the next one. Graduated from high school in 1961 and have a list of ever car since (497) I enjoy trying to make everything work as it should, T buckets are the simplest and Jags are the hardest, but I like em all. #497 is a 1950 olds coupe with a stock 303 and a adapted 350 turbo. Waiting for the next one
Beaters. It is nice to be able to push shopping carts out of the way in the rain and not have to worry about scratching the car. Cars from the 70s with big steel bumpers work great for that.
Beaters? An undocumented bonus?
Nobody cut you off. They sensed you didn’t care 😁😁
These days the vehicle of choice is a 250cc belt-drive Piaggio scooter. It’s fun, it slips through traffic, I can park anywhere, with a top case and the under-seat storage I can carry lots of stuff. Fast enough for local freeways, and did I mention it’s fun?
I’ve just read some of the most true comments about growing up, coming of age, dealing with adversity, the whole 9 yards. I’m 69 and can relate to most all of them. My first buy was a then 25-year-old 48 Chevy for $75. My latest is a 47-year-old motorcycle. And there has been just about everything inbetween.
The 1964 PONTIAC GTO for starting the muscle car movement.